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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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###¤$%:~,¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ %% ¨,~:%$¤###
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##¤$%:~,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ %% ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ %% ¨,~:%$¤###
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###¤$%:~,¨ %% ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~:%$¤##
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##¤$%:~,¨¨ %% ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨,~:%$¤###
##¤$%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%$¤##
###¤$%:~,¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨,~:%$¤###
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